BOULDER — Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre looks forward to the day when junior receiver Nelson Spruce begins to receive a ton of attention from scouts.

MacIntyre isn't necessarily referring to NFL scouts, although that would be terrific, too. Head-hunters for major corporations, MacIntyre said, would be wise to put Spruce in their sights.

So will Colorado State defenders Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Spruce is a machine on third down. He moves the chains.

Talk about driven to succeed on the field and off: In addition to combining for 99 receptions the past two seasons, Spruce earned second-team Pac-12 all-academic honors for 2012 and 2013 as an underclassman.

Spruce is a finance major at CU's Leeds School of Business. His favorite class: capital investments.

"Any company out there, I would tell you, 'Hire Nelson Spruce and he will run your company in five or 10 years,'" MacIntyre said. "Nelson is a worker. He is intelligent. He pushes. He has ice in his veins."

A native of the greater Los Angeles area, Spruce has become renowned for his organizational skills and time management. In addition to his studies, Spruce (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) spent extra hours in the weight room and earned the Iron Buffalo Award for receivers, given to players at each position with the highest level of dedication to conditioning.

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"I wasn't always organized," Spruce said with a grin. "When I was growing up, my bedroom would be a mess. My mom would get on me for that.

"But the things I find important, I try to keep those organized. I guess you could say having a clean room wasn't at the top of my priorities."

When Spruce goes up to the line of scrimmage, he tries to organize everything in his head about what to expect on that particular play. He thinks about his assignment, how the defense sets up, what quarterback Sefo Liufau might be seeing, where other receivers will be.

Spruce believes his ability to multitask and organize helps in film study and game preparation.

"Studying game film is analogous to school work," he said. "Those kinds of things have always been easy for me."

MacIntyre believes Spruce ranks among the top receivers in the Pac-12, a pass-happy conference teeming with talent at the skill positions. Although not flashy, Spruce has deceptive speed that can fool defensive backs who underestimate his athleticism.

Coaches and players marvel over Spruce's hands. They couldn't be more clingy if had rubbed them with pine tar. His hands gobble up the ball like baseball gloves. It didn't hurt that he played third base and shortstop at Westlake High School in Westlake Village, Calif., before concentrating on football during his senior year.

"Nelson is so strong with his hands," MacIntyre said. "He can be covered, but still he gets the ball. He has the ability to separate (from the defender) in a 2-yard spot.

"You wonder, 'How did he make that catch?' Then he can turn and break tackles because he's so strong."

Labeling Spruce a "possession receiver" is a disservice to his skill set. CU coaches are not afraid to send him deep. He connected with Liufau for a 62-yard touchdown pass last fall against California.

Spruce acknowledged that he always has played with "a little bit of a chip" on his shoulder because he can be overlooked at times. He's never going to be 6-4 or run a 10.5-second 100 meters. But Colorado coaches are glad he's a Buff.

In last year's 41-27 win over Colorado State, Spruce caught eight passes for 99 yards as a complement to then CU star Paul Richardson, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks.

Finally it's Spruce's turn to be the Buffs' go-to target. And also a go-to leader. In the spring, Spruce was voted by teammates as one of six team captains.

"Nelson is a good athlete — not the fastest, but he's a smart guy who understands the game," said CU's wide receivers coach, Troy Walters, who played eight years in the NFL. "He understands coverages. He understands leverage. He understands our playbook. That enables him to play fast and get to the open zone.

"He does all the little things. I tell our guys that all the little things add up to big things."

"He's a great leader for our young men, a great leader," MacIntyre said.